


Sleeping With The Enemy.

by Jack_Wilder



Category: Welcome to the Punch (2013)
Genre: DUBIOUS CONSENT IN CHAPTER 3!!!! READ WITH CARE!!!!, Dubious Consent, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2018-12-05 17:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11582907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jack_Wilder/pseuds/Jack_Wilder
Summary: 4 times Max and Jake unintentionally cuddled while sharing a bed, resulting in Max having nightmares from their close proximity and the 1 time they purposely wrapped themselves around each other and slept.





	1. I'm having nightmares from sleeping with the enemy.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!!!!! I got something for you all and I hope that you all enjoy it!!! :D
> 
> If you see any errors, please to GENTLY & POLITELY point them out to me.
> 
> ENJOY!!!
> 
> I DO NOT own any of the characters in the fic below. This is written purely for the enjoyment of the writer and the reader. No profit is being made from this or any of my other works.

The first time Max Lewinsky and Jacob Sternwood had to share a bed was a few hours right after Jacob had broken out (kidnapped) Max from the back of a police car, the same night they had carried out their two-man attack.

Both men were running on empty when Jake pulled his non-descript jeep into an extremely shady looking motel. They were still in London, with a man hunt on for both of them and they needed to lay low, but they also needed to rest, so Max could not have cared less at the motel that looked as if it came straight out of a horror movie set.

He waited in the car as Jake went to the front desk and within a few minutes Jake was out and back in the jeep, pulling up in front of their room door and putting it into park.

Max barely awake on his feet was out the jeep and walking towards their room as Jacob grabbed a black duffel bag from the back of the jeep. He was leaning against the wall, slowly losing his fight against exhaustion when Jacob finally reached the door and opened it, allowing him to enter first and then following, closing and locking the door. 

Max somehow in his sleepy state managed to locate the light switch and once the room was illuminated he heard Jacob curse and turned to see what had upset the man in such a short space of time. That's when he saw it, a single double bed.

"Fucking Irish wanker." Jacob growled, "I specifically asked for a room with two beds."

The former Detective Inspector looked between his ally/partner in crime/(former?) foe and the bed before shrugging in a 'what can you do' manner.

"If you want to go get another room be my guess, but I am going to take the quickest shower of my life and then pass out." He made his way into the bathroom, closing the door and leaving a slightly pissed Jacob in the bedroom still staring at the bed. 

Five minutes later when Max exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, figuring that he would sleep in the towel and in the morning put on back his clothes, he saw Jacob seated on a small couch that had seen better days, looking over what Max assumed to be a map.

"No more rooms or just couldn't be bothered to go back to the front desk?"

"The latter." Jacob responded without looking up from the map. "Too damn tired to argue with anyone right now."

Max nodded in agreement as he got into the bed.

"That's how you are going to sleep while sharing a bed with me?"

"Hmm?" Max was barely coherent, he was quickly losing consciousness when he felt something soft and smelling of lavender hit him in his face.

"Put those on. I am not going to chance your towel coming loose in the night and having your cock on me."

"If only you should be so lucky," Max grumbled as he sluggishly pulled on the shirt and boxers Jacob had so rudely thrown in his face. Once he was appropriately dressed for bed according to Jacob's standards, he laid back down and was instantly asleep. 

Max had no idea when Jacob joined him in the bed. However, when he awoke in a cold sweat, remnants of a dream featuring cold green eyes and searing burning pain in his knee, he instantly became aware of something, no, someone very warm pressed up against his back, a weight across his waist and long leg between his. Max hesitantly turned his head, only to come face to face with a sleeping Jacob who somehow had ended up with his head on Max's pillow and tightly spooning him.

Jacob apparently was a very aggressive cuddler while sleeping, because when Max tried to remove the arm from around his waist, the man tightened his arm, pulling Max into his strong, toned, warm, shirtless chest.

Max laid there, stiff as a board wondering what to do when Jacob nuzzled into his hair, his warm breath caressing Max's neck.

Having just woken up from a horrible nightmare, and being cuddled by his most hated foe, Max did the only thing he could think of. He turned over and shoved as hard as he could at Jacob's sturdy chest, ignoring the small dark part of his mind that thought it was a very nice chest, waking the man instantly and falling off the bed himself from the force of the shove.

Jake leaned over the edge of the bed to see Max with his face scrunched up in pain and holding his knee.

"The fuck is wrong with you mate?"

Max looked up at him, a look of incredulity marring his otherwise baby looking face.

"I should be asking you that question! what do you think you were doing?!"

Jake looked confused by his outburst and question.

"Sleeping?"

"You were cuddling me."

"No, I was not." Jake denied instantly.

"You pressed so tightly to my back that the Spirit of the good Lord could not pass between us."

"Are you really making a fuss about me cuddling you in my sleep?"

Max had picked himself up off the floor and was sitting at the edge of the bed. His knee still hurting from him falling to the floor. He turned to look at Jake, anger in his eyes.

"Yes, especially when the man who is cuddling me is the same one who shot me in the knee three years ago and who still have a starring role in my nightmares!"

The room was chillingly silent after Max said that, his eyes wide at what had just left his mouth.

"You have nightmares about me?" Jake asked softly.

"Fuck off Sternwood." Max got up from the bed and went to the bathroom, locking himself in it until dawn the next morning. And when he left the small safety it provided, he would not look at Jake and when he made an attempt at bringing up the revelation from the night before, Max shut him down. 

The left the motel as dawn was slowly breaking over the sleepy London city, Jake behind the steering wheel, eyes forward and Max in the passenger seat, staring out the window at the passing scenery of his former life, wondering what the future had in store for him.


	2. Invading My Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marriage is not the only war where you sleep with the enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEW CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> If you see any errors, please to GENTLY & POLITELY point them out to me.
> 
> ENJOY!!!
> 
> I DO NOT own any of the characters in the fic below. This is written purely for the enjoyment of the writer and the reader. No profit is being made from this or any of my other works.

Jake had managed to get them both out of the city and into the country side without being detected. They had both agreed that driving was a safer mode of transportation than flying as there was more security in airports than on the roads even with a manhunt on.

They were heading north, towards Scotland and Max had managed to keep a tight lid on his delight to be going back home, fortunately something that he had not disclosed with any of his former colleagues or the man he was currently on the run with. 

They had been driving for two days non-stop since leaving the motel and it was beginning to take a toll on both men. Jake was tired as evident by the redness of his eyes and the bags under them and Max's knee was on fire from being kept in the same bent position for two days straight.

"I think we should look for somewhere to spend the night." Max voiced his opinion. "We are both exhausted and it will not do us any good if we run into any trouble."

Jake nodded his assent. "There's a bed and breakfast a few miles up the road, we can stay there."

"Is it safe?"

"The couple who runs it knows me."

"And I as again; is it safe? Just because they know you, doesn't mean they won't call the cops as soon as we both walk in there."

"Trust me, they won't."

"Trust  _you?_ " The incredulity that coloured Max's voice was bright for all to see. "I should  _trust you,_ the man who shot my knee out and crippled me? Well, that's just rich." He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.  

Jake kept his eyes on the road, but his jaw was clenched tight.

"They know me and that won't turn us in. That is all you have to concern yourself with right now."

Max snorted, "just make sure to get two bed this time or better yet, two rooms."

Jake said nothing as he drove up to a sign indicating that they were now on the private property of the bed and breakfast and as they drove up to the front cottage, in the last of the evening's sunlight Max had the passing thought that it was something straight out of a story book.

"The good thing about this place is that there are individual cottages, as well as the main house, so we will have our privacy."

Jake saying the word 'privacy' brought up the unwanted memories of how Max had woken up to Jake wrapped around him after his nightmare.

"And how much privacy will we get while we are stuck together?" Max asked, his head lolling to the right to look at Jake's profile.

He huffed out a breath as he parked the car in front of a quaint looking brick building. "Just stay out of trouble and watch your manners if you should meet the owners; they are long-time friends of mine."

"I doubt I will be meeting anyone." Max slouched in the passenger seat. "With how fucking tired I am, I just want a warm shower and bed to sleep in."

Jake was about to exit the car when he turned back around and took a good look at Max; how he was gently rubbing his knee and there were lines of pain etched in his face. He saw the bags under Max's eyes as well as fading bruises and he knew that he was just as tired as himself felt.

"How about you get out of the car and stretch your legs? I will back in a few, breathe in the fresh country air."

Max said nothing in return to Jake's suggestion, but he did get out of the car, walking a few feet away from it to stretch his limbs. Jake smiled that the usually argumentative man did not try to start a fight with him as he went to the front cottage to get them both preferably separate rooms.

Max was squinting at the flowers in the fading light, trying to discern what was what when he heard footsteps approaching him. He turned at the sound and watched as Jake walked up to him, standing so close that he had to tilt his head back to look into his deep green eyes.

"Step back a little, you are making my neck hurt." He said tersely.

Jake did as commanded. "So, I have both good news and bad news."

"Fuck my life." Max muttered. "What's the bad news?"

"Only one cottage was left and it again only has one queen size bed."

"Does it have a shower with hot water?"

"Yes."

"That's good enough for me." Max pushed pass him, walking back to the car.

"That's it? No cussing?" Jake was genuinely baffled.

"If sharing a bed with you means sleeping in a bed, then I will just have to suck it up." He got into the car and slammed the door shut. Jake took that as his cue to get in the car as well, pulling it around to the cottage he had rented for that night and the next day.

Once inside, Max threw the duffel bag of clothes, toiletries and medical equipment Jake had gotten for him on the one bed in the room and began digging through it. When he had found what he was looking for, a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, he went straight to the bathroom where he locked himself in and turned on the hot water. As the steam rose and fogged up the room, he stripped out of the clothes he had been wearing for two months and without further ado he stepped right under the hot spray of water, not caring that his alabaster skin was turning an alarming shade of red. Max allowed the water to wash over his sore body for a few minutes before he started scrubbing himself.  

Deeming himself clean enough, Max got out of the shower, dressed and left the bathroom. Jake was lying on one side of the bed, his back braced by some pillows against the head board, one of his arms folded behind his head, as the other was wrapped around a cold looking bottle of beer. Max observed him for a few seconds, taking in how casual he looked. 

"Bathroom's free." 

"Thanks."

Max put away his dirty clothes, took his duffel bag and placed it on the couch in the room. He then went to the small kitchen in the cottage and after rifling through a few of the cupboards he found a packet of tea. He heard when Jake entered the shower and drank his hot tea, trying to calm himself down for the long night to come. It was not five minutes later when he heard the shower being turned off and Jake emerged through the kitchen door, a snow white fluffy towel wrapped low around his hips, with water droplets rolling down his strong arms, chest and toned stomach to disappear into the towel. Max's eyes followed him and he almost swallowed his tongue when he saw the tattoo across Jake's muscled back. The ink moving like a sleek panther as Jake moved.

He quickly averted his eyes when Jake turned around to face him.

"How's your knee?"

"What?"

Jake nodded to Max's knee. "Your knee, how it is?"

The look that Max sent him would have had a lesser man running scared.

"My knee is none of your business, so fuck off and never ask about it again."

Jake raised an eyebrow at his tone and words. "None of my business? It sure as well was my business when I went out and bought you everything you required to care for it."

"Care I would not require if you had not shot me." Max snapped.

"I would not have shot you if you had just left well enough alone."

Max's eyebrows shot up, "oh, so as a law-abiding citizen and a Detective Inspector no less, I should have just looked the other way as you stole other people's money?"

"Maybe you would not be a cripple if you had."

"And maybe your son would still be alive if you were not a fucking criminal."

"And your partner would definitely still be alive if you weren't so obsessed with me and had her back when she needed you the most." Jake had gone in for the kill and he had succeeded. Max's skin had gone pale and he had developed a thousand-yard stare.

"That is true, she would still be alive." He got up from the kitchen island, leaving his tea and walked towards the bedroom. "I am going to bed, good night." 

Max laid in the queen-sized bed, his back to the side on which Jake would be sleeping. The room was in semi-darkness, with the moon shining its light through the French windows. He was glad that when Jake finally came in, he had not turned on the lights, or else with his sharp eyes, he would have seen the tear tracks on Max's face.

The bed dipped as Jake got in and Max dug his fingers into his pillow, squeezing his eyes shut tight as his bed companion moved around and got comfortable.

"Good night."

Max did not answer and his final thought before falling into the darkness was that he hoped to stay on his side of the bed.

* * *

_"_ _Max."_

_Max spun around, trying to find where the voice was coming from in this dark cavern._

_"Max!"_

_The voice sounded again, but it was extremely difficult deciphering where it was coming from as it was echoing._

_"Who are you? What do you want?"_

_Max was terrified, he had no idea where he was and he could not find Jake._

**_"MAX!"_**  

_He spun around only to come face to face with the pale, almost translucent skin of a creature looking like Sarah and her dead accusing eyes._

_"Wha-What?" He stared in horror at the creature before him._

_"You left me to die."_

_"Wha-no! No! I did not." It cut Max to his core to hear her say that._

_"You were not there when I needed you the most. When he cornered me, and wrapped his hands around my throat, slowly cutting off my breathing."_

_Max wanted to cover his ears. He was beyond disbelief when he had come face to face with her dead body in the morgue, with Juka accusing him of murder. He did not want to hear of her final moments when he should have had her back._

_"You should have been there. Instead you were out chasing Sternwood; your obsession."_

_Max flinched violently, remembering what Jake had said during their argument earlier._

_"Did you finally get your man?" The creature before him smiled cruelly and Max took a step back. "Of course, you did, you are currently sharing a bed with the man who crippled you; who you spent three years of your life obsessively hunting."_

_The creature suddenly disappeared and Max started to panic. Spinning in circles, trying to find where it would pop up next._

_"Can you feel it?"_

_Max turned sharply to look straight into the creature's dead eyes._

_"Can you feel his arms around you, pulling you closer to his body?"_

_Max did in fact feel something warm wrapped around him and once he did he felt something akin to safety and protection rise from that warm feeling._

_The smile on its face was vicious. "Can you feel him contorting his body to mould against yours; feel that warmth seep into your chilled bones and know that you are sleeping with the enemy." The creature wearing Sarah's face, tilted its head to the side as if thinking, then asked saccharine sweet, "how long before you allow him to fuck that tight ass of your Max?"_

* * *

Max awoke with a gasp, his face covered in sweat, his shirt sticking to him uncomfortably. As his breathing slowed, he became aware of his surroundings and sighed in relief when he realised it was only a nightmare. A nightmare which was very true.

He was indeed sleeping with the enemy, no matter how innocent it was.

And Jake was currently pressed up tightly against his back. Max had no idea how a criminal like Jake could be such an aggressive cuddler in bed. He had his arm draped over Max's waist, his fingers curving over his hip that was pressed into the bed. He had one leg slung over Max's own.

Max laid there in the dark, the room silent except for Jake's soft breathing. He stared off into the dark, feeling the weight and warmth of Jake against him and Sarah's hauntingly echoing voice in his ear and felt the guilt start to set in. he squeezed his eyes shut, but tears escaped them and soon he was silently crying as his enemy/tentative ally slept soundly pressed up against him.

As Max's guilt ate away at him, he could not help but think that all this was in part due to Jake and soon his guilt turned into hot white anger. Having no other way of dealing with this anger, he did the only thing he could think of. He turned on Jake.

He rolled over none too gently, throwing Jake's arm off his waist and as the other man slowly came awake from the sudden disturbance, Max took the opportunity straddle Jake's waist and deliver a powerful punch to the man's jaw. That definitely woke Jake up.

"What the fuck?!"

Max delivered another punch and another before Jake could gather his wits about him and brought his hands between them to protect his face. 

"You fucker!" Max's next punch was blocked and Jake grabbed his wrists, and rolled them, so that he was on top of Max, his hips between his thighs and Max's wrists being pressed into the bed.

Max struggled violently. "Get off me you wanker!" 

"Shut up mate!" Jake hoped that sounds did not travel through the walls of the cottage or else they would have a real problem on their hands. He was satisfied when Max did as told and leaned down close to his face, feeling his breath hot on his face from his angry huffing. "What is the problem now?"

"You were cuddling me again."

"And that is why you decided to wake me up so rudely?"

"Oh, fuck you Sternwood." Max said then sniffled. That little sound gave Jake pause and releasing one of Max's wrists, he leaned over towards the bedside table to turn on the lamp, only to find Max's face was wet, not with sweat but tears. His blue eyes were wet and the skin around them were red.

"Are you  _crying_?"

"Get the fuck off me Sternwood."

Jake ignored him. "Did you have another nightmare about me?"

That question took the fight out of Max and he suddenly went boneless beneath Jake.

"No, not about you." He looked off to the side, remembering the accusations from his dream. How the creature with Sarah's face stared at him with those dead eyes as if they were looking through his soul.

"Then what about? What made you lash out at me like that? Apart from me cuddling you which is something I cannot control while sleeping, especially when there is a warm body beside me."

A mirthless laugh escaped Max when he heard that. "Just get the fuck off me."

As if just comprehending the compromising they were in, Jake released Max's wrist and got off him, sitting back on the bed as Max rolled over on his side, his back to Jake.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Fuck off Sternwood."

"Alright."

The room plunged into darkness again when Jake turned off the light and Max laid there, his eyes adjusting to the dark so that he could make out items in the room and he swore he saw the creature from his dreams, standing in the corner of the room, staring at him with those cold dead eyes, judging him when not even twenty minutes later, a dead asleep Jake turned over and draped an arm over his waist.


	3. I'm Just Dreaming Of Tearing You Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nightmares get worse, Max stops sleeping and Jake's notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUBIOUS CONSENT!!!! READ WITH CARE!!!!
> 
> I hope that you are all enjoying this story. Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> If you see any errors, please to GENTLY & POLITELY point them out to me.
> 
> ENJOY!!!
> 
> I DO NOT own any of the characters in the fic below. This is written purely for the enjoyment of the writer and the reader. No profit is being made from this or any of my other works.
> 
> Title: "My songs know what you did in the dark." - Fall Out Boy

Four days later after their stay at the cottage, found Max and Jake, laying low at one of his many safe houses he had. This particular safe house was a small one-bedroom cabin. The only saving grace was the fact that the shower had hot to near scalding water that seemed to be unlimited and there was coffee that Max drank like it was the elixir of life. 

Since that nightmare he had of Sarah or some creature looking like her, hurtling accusations at him, Max had not slept. Anytime he closed his eyes and started to doze, the nightmares would come and he was tired of waking in fright, only to have Jake question him. However, the effects of not sleeping were starting to take its toll on him, both mentally and physically. There were dark circles around his eyes, that only got darker the more sleep he refused and his patience was beginning to fray. He had to make an effort not to snap at Jake over the smallest of things. Hence it was very hard not to throw down and break the nearest breakable object in sight when he saw the single queen-sized bed in the cabin. Max had a feeling that Jake was either doing this on purpose or fate really hated him and wanted him to share a bed with his enemy/tentative ally. 

Max sat in the lone armchair by the window, reading one of the many books Jake had stashed in the cabin, while drink his  _third_  cup of coffee for the  _evening_.

"If you keep that up you won't be able to sleep later." A deep baritone voice said from behind Max.

He looked and saw Jake leaning against the door-jam of the bed room, clad in only a pair of low slung sweat pants, his toned chest, arms and stomach on full display. Max shrugged, turning back to his book.

The sound of footsteps walking closer to his little safe haven made him attentive but he did not avert his eyes from the words he was reading.

"But that is what you want isn't it." It wasn't a question nor an accusation; it was simply a statement. Jake stopped behind the arm-chair and Max felt when he braced his arms against the head rest, his weight causing it to sink a little. "I know you haven't been sleeping."

Max's grip on the book became knuckle white, something Jake noticed from his position above him.

"Now," he sounded tired, "I do not know if it because I unconsciously wrap myself around you in my sleep or if it from the nightmares you have been having."

Max threw down the book and got up from his seat, coffee cup in hand as he tilted it to his head, chugging the rest of the hot beverage before walking over to the small kitchenette and pouring another as Jake looked on.

"Come on mate, you don't need that. Just tell me what is wrong, so that we can fix it."

Max snorted at that. "Oh, Sternwood, this situation is FUBAR, so there will be no  _fixing_  it."

"I need you in top shape Detective Inspector."

"Do. Not." Max pointed a finger at him in warning, "Call. Me. That."

Jake raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I do not want to fight Max."

"Continue down this road and it will be a fight." Max said before downing his  _fourth_  cup of coffee. "This is not the first time I have gone without sleep. I functioned just fine before and I will be fine now." He washed his cup, put it in the drain rack and walked passed Jake into the bedroom. He was already in bed by the time Jake joined him.

"You do know that you won't be falling asleep anytime soon?"

Max continued staring at the dark ceiling.

"Suit yourself then." Jake turned over on his side, his back to Max.

Max counted the minutes it took for Jake's breathing to deepen and scoffed when he counted a measly ten minutes. He was envious of the other man who could fall asleep without a care in the world and stay asleep, except for those two times Max had awoken him rather violently. He laid there for an hour before deciding to go back to the living room and finishing his book. 

Just as Max was about to exit the bed, Jake turned over and wrapped his arms around him. Max stiffened but Jake just settled back down into his deep sleep.

"Fucking great." Max whispered to himself. He was effectively trapped by Jake's strong arms. One of his arms had managed to wedge itself between the mattress and Max's neck and wrap around his chest, while the other hand was draped over his waist, Jake's fingers burrowing between the bed and his hip.

Just when he thought it could not get any worse, Jake dragged Max flushed to his body.

 _"No."_  Max whispered, horrified by their change in positions. His back was plastered along Jake's front and he could feel the man's warm breath on the back of his neck. "Jake, Jake wake up." He whispered shout.

Jake's continued deep breathing was evidence that he had not heard Max. 

"Jake." He hissed, only to stiffen when he felt something moving against his ass. Max almost flew out of his skin when he felt warm soft lips press a kiss to the back of his neck. "This is not funny Sternwood." He growled. "Stop dry humping my ass and get the fuck away from me."

Jake still did not wake, nor did he stop what he was doing. 

Max released a frustrated sigh. "Come on, let go." He tried prying off Jake's arms but that only caused him to tighten his hold. Max felt as Jake's thumb started caressing the sliver of skin that was now exposed to the night air from where his sleep shirt had ridden up and he could feel Jake's erection pressing against his ass as his movements became even more pronounced.

"Stop this Jake.” Max tried not to panic. “Wake up."

Jake's hands began traveling over Max's body in his sleep. The arm around his chest teasing his nipples to hardness, before diving under his shirt to touch warm skin, causing goose bumps to rise on his skin.

"Jake!" Max grabbed both his hands, trying to free himself, but Jake just held tighter to his hips as he ground against him. "Jake, wake up man." Jake's fingers brushed against his nipple, causing Max to moan and arch into his hold. "Bloody fucking hell." He cursed, wondering how he ended up in such a precarious position. 

Jake meanwhile in his sleep, was having a very nice dream that felt real. He was pressed against a warm body, that was arching into his every touch.

Max hated himself at the moment, but he was unable to stop the small moans which were escaping him or prevent his body from reacting to Jake's touches. It had been so long since he had been touched like this by someone.

Jake in his sleep was alternating between assaulting his nipples and sucking bruises on the skin of Max's neck that he could reach. However, it all came to a head when Jake slipped his hand into Max's pyjama pants, circling his half hard cock before stroking it to full hardness.  

"Oh shit,” panic had set in with a vengeance. “No, Jake, wake up." 

Jake tightened his hold around Max's cock and increased his stroking speed. Max's hips bucked and he felt his face burn with shame, the nightmare he had about Sarah and her words haunting him  _"how long before you allow him to fuck that tight ass of your Max?"_

Max's hands were trying to remove Jake's hands from beneath his clothes, while trying not to give into the pleasure Jake was assaulting him with. He knew that he was close to orgasm and needed this to stop before it went even further.

"Jake, wake up! Please!" He squirmed and attempted to tear himself away from his sleeping bed mate, but to no avail and as Jake's and continued stroking him, Max could no longer deny the pleasure coursing through his veins, bucked his hips and his back arched in pleasure as he came hard, his hot seed spilling out over Jake's talented hand in his pants, making him feel both physically and mentally disgusting as he came down from his high.

Feelings of rage bubbled up inside him and he elbowed Jake hard in his ribs, the sharp pain waking him instantly.

"What is it?!" He attempted to sit up but did not get far and when he looked to see what was holding him down, Max felt when he stiffened behind him, seeing the compromising position they were in "Shit." He slowly removed his hand from Max, as if any sudden movement would somehow add to the already fucked up situation they were currently in. When he removed his hand from Max's pants his eyes widened in horror at the evidence that his dream was not in fact a dream. 

Max held his head down and away from Jake so he could not see him.

"Max? Mate, I am so sor-" he was cut off when Max suddenly exited the bed and all but ran to the adjoining bathroom, the slamming of the door echoing in the small cabin.  Jake got up and washed his hands at the sink in the kitchenette, his mind racing at what he had done while asleep. He heard the shower turn off and a few seconds later Max appeared in the living room with a pillow and the extra blanket from the bed. He would not meet Jake's eyes.

"I will sleep out here."

"You don't have t-"

"It's better than being molested by my sleeping bed-mate."  

Jake couldn't argue with that and retired to the bedroom, leaving Max to battle with a lot more than just his inner demons. 

 


	4. Beautiful Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...You're the perfect lullaby..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title and summary - Sweet Dream by Beyonce
> 
> NEW CHAPTER!!!!
> 
> I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this fic from the beginning. This chapter gave me nothing but problems, however, I was able to wrangle my thoughts and ideas and create something for you all. 
> 
> Y'all should know the drill by now: If you see any errors, POLITELY point them out to me.
> 
> ENJOY!!!
> 
> I DO NOT own any of the characters in the fic below. This is written purely for the enjoyment of the writer and the reader. No profit is being made from this or any of my other works.

Once the two men made it safely out of the United Kingdom and into Germany, from there they travelled by car to Poland, before stopping for a few days in Moscow, Russia. Both men desperately needing a break from the nonstop travel; Jake a break from driving and Max needing to stretch out his aching crippled knee on more than just the back seat or the reclined front seat of the car. 

They were staying at another one of Jake's safe house at the outskirts of Moscow and Max was more than horrified to see that it only had one bedroom. How he was feeling must have showed on his face, because Jake spoke up.

"When I had my safe houses set up, I hadn't planned having a partner in crime running alongside me."

"Fuck you asshole," Max snapped, tired and aching, "I am  _not_  your fucking partner."

Jake ignored his response in favour of lighting the fireplace and bringing some warmth into the cold house. "At least this time, we are sharing a king sized bed. More space."

Max resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "as if that is going to stop you from cuddling with me or worse, molesting me while sleeping."

Jake stood up, his eyes on Max, "since you brought that up, how are your nightmares? Did you get any-"

Max stormed off in the direction of the bathroom with a snapped, "go fuck yourself", not giving Jake a chance to finish his question before violently slamming the door shut. Turning around, he braced his back against the door and for the first time in weeks, since they got out of England and began their journey to Norway, Max was alone. It may have been just a bathroom, but there was a door made of solid wood that stood between him and Jake firmly locked. He leaned his head back against the door, closing his eyes and letting out a world weary breath.

He jumped violently when there was a knock on the door, but kept his back to it.

"If you are going to shower, let the water run a little before for it to warm up."

A shower.

That actually sounded like a pretty good idea right about now. Turning on the water, Max stripped down giving the water time to warm up when he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. Saying he had better days would have been an understatement. His hair had grown longer, not touching his shoulders, but longer than he usually kept it. His ribs were starting to show from the weight he had lost as a result of stress from his nightmares, drinking nothing but coffee, barely eating and running from the law. His pale skin looked almost transparent in the light of the bathroom and there were dark circles around his eyes.

Max snorted derisively at the pathetic looking human being staring back at him. "Fucking hell." Turning his back on his reflection, Max got into the shower, allowing the hot water to run over his aching muscles and bones, and to put some artificial colour back into his skin. He stayed for five minutes in the shower. Five blissful minutes all to himself with the world on the other side of the door when he heard a knock on the door again.

"You ok in there mate? Or did you drown?"

Not bothering to deign that with a response, Max got out of the shower and dried off, only then realising that he had not brought any clean clothes into the bathroom with him in his haste to get away. Heaving a heavy sigh, he gathered up his dirty clothes and with his towel wrapped tightly around his waist he exited the bathroom and into the bedroom that was warm from the fire Jake had going in the small living room/kitchen. 

Max had just slid on a t-shirt when Jake entered the bedroom, but paid him no mind as he took out his medical equipment, getting ready to drain the fluid from his knee. Sitting at the edge of the bed, with his right leg placed firmly on the ground, Max cleaned the site of entry and slowly slid the needle into his leg, hissing softly from the sting, he then pulled up the plunger of the syringe, watching as it filled. When that was done, he removed the needle from his knee and cleaned it, lowering his pants leg, it was then that it dawned on him that he had an audience.

"Admiring your handy work?" His voice was bitter, his skin too tight and itchy. He wanted to break something. He could see Jake in his peripheral vision.

"It was not my intention to hurt you that night, but I had no other choice." Jake's words as was his voice were sincere and Max squeezed his eyes closed, not wanting to listen to what he had to say.

"Water's still hot." He said, having nowhere else to go and not wanting to be in the same room as Jake, Max fled to the kitchen. After ten minutes of searching and not finding any coffee, he marched back into the bedroom, only to stop short when at the same time Jake had pulled his towel from around his waist and Max was treated to the sight of a glorious firm ass.

Hearing a sound behind him, Jake turned around completely unconcerned with his own nudity and Max himself suddenly found the ceiling to be rather interesting. 

"Something the matter."

Max cleared his throat before speaking. "Is there any coffee?"

"No."

Blue eyes immediately met green. 

"What do you mean by 'no'?" He asked slowly.

Jake sighed and got dressed, something Max felt torn about. "I do not like coffee, hence, there is no coffee here. As I said before, when I had my safe houses set up, it was not with a partner in crime."

Max felt his right eye begin to twitch. 

"And from what I can see, the last thing you need is more coffee."

"What I need or do not need, is not any of your business-"

"Actually it is." Jake cut him off. "Sooner or later, your body is going to give out from stress, a lack of food and sleeping and I am going to be burdened by that."

Max exploded at those words, "then you should have left me to die in prison!" He started walking towards Jake, his anger fuelling his steps. "I did not asked to be rescued! I had already accepted my fate, unfair as it was, I accepted it and had made peace with myself!" If he was taller, he would have been eye to eye with Jake with how close he was, since that was not the case he had to tilt his head back to keep eye contact. "I did not ask to be running behind you as we evade the law!"

Jake observed him calmly, "I was not about to leave an innocent man to be killed in prison because of a corrupt justice system. I was not going to have that on my conscience." 

He reached out slowly, giving Max enough time to back away and gently ran his fingers through his hair. "Since I did a good job of getting you out alive, why don't you do your part and keep yourself healthy and alive?" His fingers travelled from Max's hair to his neck, drawing a scorching line up his throat and cheek to rest below his eyes. "Starting with theses dark circles."

Max instantly drew back, causing Jake's hand to fall from his face. "Keep your hands to yourself Sternwood; I am fine."

"Says the man who has nightmares keeping him awake." 

"You son of a-"

"Go to sleep Max. Do not look for a fight where there isn't one." Jake spoke low and calmly, as if speaking to a skittish animal; although the description was fitting because Max looked like he wanted to bolt anytime his nightmares and lack of sleeping were mentioned.

Max looked ready to argue again, but chose not to, his eyes instead straying to the lone bed. "I swear, if I wake up and feel your arm around me I am going to rip it off."

"Just get some sleep."

* * *

_"Max."_

_He tried to ignore that haunting voice._

_"Maxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx." That voice called out to him and he covered his ears, trying to block it out._

**_"Max!"_ **

* * *

Max flew up in bed, remnants of that scream echoing in his ear. His shirt stuck to his sweaty skin and he threw off the covers, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, that is when he realised that Jake for once was not cuddling him in his sleep, but was still on his side of the bed with his back facing Max. Heaving a huge sigh, he got up and quietly went to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

"You doing alright there mate?" 

Max flinched when he unexpectedly heard the sound of Jake's voice.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." He said in lieu of answering the question. Max laid on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling, too afraid to go back to bed, knowing those dreams will come back.

The bed shifted as Jake turned over on his side so that he was facing Max, but that was not enough. Slowly, he inched closer to the smaller man, wrapping one arm around his waist, the other curling around his head so that he could run his fingers through Max's hair, hoping that it would soothe the man.

"What are you doing?" Max asked, feeling too drained to do anything more than sigh tiredly when he felt Jake's fingers gently combing through his hair.

"Trying to help you relax and maybe have good dreams when you fall back asleep."

Max hummed, his eyes closed in contentment. "Thought your way of helping me to relax was shoving your hand down my pants while I try to sleep."

"Only when I am asleep and have no idea that I am molesting my bed mate."

"I thought I told you to keep your hands to yourself?" He made no move to remove the offending appendages.

"I am truly sorry for what I did to you. I am sorry that it happened like that."

Max's eyes flew open at that admission. "Beg pardon." He turned his head to look at the man beside him.

"You heard me."

The lack of sleep, persistent nightmares, running from country to country on nothing but coffee was more than getting to him.

"Sternwood, I suggest you remove your hands from my person, right this minute before I rip them from your body." That was no threat but a promise. 

For a moment, it looked as if Jake was going to chance bodily harm but he then slowly retracted his hands from Max and turned back over onto his side, giving his back to Max who was still glaring at him.

"Good night Max."

"Go to hell."

* * *

The chill of the Moscow night air made itself known as the two men slept and unconsciously they drifted towards the warmth of each other. Jake had wrapped his arms around Max, who using his small built to his advantage, buried himself in the warmth that was Jake's arms. In his sleep, Max had shoved his hands under Jake's shirt, seeking all the heat he could get. They slept like that for the rest of the night, curled around each other.

It was in the morning, when Max's bladder made itself known that he woke and found that not only was he being embraced by Jake, but his own traitorous hands were under his bed-mate's shirt feeling the warm silk like skin with Jake's strong muscular thigh pressed up between Max's legs, pressing against his hard on.

"Sternwood." Max's sleep husky voice broke the morning stillness. His stern tone did naught but to have the arms around him tighten like a vise grip. "Sternwood." He tried again and this time the man stirred.

However, in waking up Jake much to Max's horror, the man shifted the thigh he had pressed up against Max's most intimate and private of areas before tensing.

Green eyes snapped open, meeting liquid fire blue. Jake's eyes travelled down what he could see of their tangled limbs, before snapping back up to Max's less than amused gaze.

"You cannot pin this all on me mate, as you can see,  _your_ hands are under  _my_  shirt." He pointed out.

Max being called out on his current position, removed his hands as if he had been burnt ignoring the hurt that flashed in those green eyes, yet the arms around his body failed to remove themselves.

"Let go." He said from between gritted teeth. "I need to use the bathroom."

Jake being the little shit that he is, slowly removed his arms from Max who once he was free literally ran into the bathroom.

Once he had finished his morning bathroom ritual, Max opened the bathroom door only to jump in fright.

"Holy fuck! Sternwood!"

Jake was standing right outside the bathroom, braced on the door jam.

"I was not going to stay in there the entire day." Max said as he tried to exit the bathroom, only to be blocked by Jake's arm. Max looked down at the offending appendage and then at the owner, "what?" His eyes widening slightly as Jake said nothing but advanced on him, backing him into the small room.

Max backtracked as much as he could until the bathroom counter pressed into his lower back. "Sternwood, whatever you are playing at stops right now."

Jake only stopped once he was literally pressed against Max who was now sitting on the edge of the counter, trying to keep some semblance of space between their bodies. Jake took the opportunity and pressed himself between Max's legs, forcing them wider to accommodate him.

"Sterwood! What the fuck!" He raised his arms to push him away only for his wrists to be captured and slammed back into the mirror above his head. Max tried freeing himself but Jake held tight.

"You are having terrifying nightmares and the only solution you have is to drink coffee and stay awake, which only makes the situation worse."

"Ah, it speaks." Max replied unkindly.

Jake did not rise to the bait, choosing instead to transfer Max's wrists to one hand, using his now free hand to slowly slide it under shirt causing Max to squirm. "But have you thought that maybe if you released all that pent up stress, that you will sleep easier?"

Max looked up at him, wide blue eyes meeting lidded green ones.

"Sternwood don't you dare- ah!"

Jake effectively cut off Max's words when he took a nipple between his thumb and index finger and twisted it. Jake kept up the pleasurable torture, making Max writhe beneath him and Jake could feel that he was starting to get hard.

He leaned forward to speak in his ear, "allow me to help you Max." Jake licked the shell of Max's ear, taking the lobe between his teeth and gently biting down, causing Max to buck, a lewd sounding moan escaping from his lips as their erections rubbed against each other’s.

"St-Sternwood, stop." Max panted, his face flush, but even though his mouth said one thing, he was slowly grinding his hardened cock against Jake's. Something Jake himself noticed and he smiled wickedly.

"Your mouth says one thing, but your body is more honest Detective Inspector." His lips moved from Max's ear to trail a fiery blaze along his cheek, jaw and neck where he sucked marks into the delicate skin he found there. Meanwhile his hand had moved from torturing Max's nipples to his pants where he gently grasped his cock through the material and squeezed.

Max made a needy whimpering sound that in the moment he was unable to be embarrassed about. 

Jake removed his lips from Max's neck, admiring his handy work. "More?" He asked.

"More." Max moaned, his back arching when Jake's hand moved under his sleep pants to grasp his hard, hot, weeping cock. 

Using the precum that had already leaked out to make the job easier, Jake set a brutally slow pace that had Max keening. 

"Tell me what you want Max." Jake said, his lips brushing Max's who to his surprise, took his lips in a brutal kiss.

Max was the one to deepen the kiss, forcing his tongue into Jake's mouth, taking what he wanted. When they both needed oxygen, Jake pressed his forehead against Max's.

"Tell me what you want."

Max too far gone in pleasure, took a moment to process the words being said to him. "To come. I want to come."

Jake being told that sped up his pace and he could tell that Max would not be able to hold on much longer.

In a few seconds, Max was coming hard with a shout, his back arching and his come spraying out hot over Jake's hand that was still milking him. Jake held him as he shook through his orgasm, one that this time they were both awake for. 

Jake stroked his hair as Max regained his senses and when he did it was as if the moment before did not happen.

Max shoved Jake away from him, his blue eyes alight with fire. "The fuck was that?"

"You are stressed, I was just trying to help."

Max looked as if he wanted to stomp him into the ground and if given the chance it would have done so, but they needed to get moving. "Next time, keeping your fucking helpfulness to yourself. Now get out so that I can take a shower, without the threat of being molested while doing so."

Jake gave him a small infuriating smile that Max wanted so badly to wipe off his face before he left him alone. 

Finally by himself, Max slid down to the floor, his face on fire as thoughts of what just took place ran through his mind.

"Shit."

 


End file.
